Overview
Cell and Molecular Physiology Ph.D. Program at Loyola University Chicago Prepares Students for Successful Careers
The Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology at Loyola University Chicago has an excellent tradition in training students for the Ph.D. degree. With cardiovascular research as the major focus, students have an excellent environment for research training.
LU Chicago's relatively small size of approximately 15 graduate faculty and its well-funded programs, combined with a closely coordinated training program, contribute to an excellent educational opportunity. Students are given a solid integrated foundation in basic medical sciences including biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology, molecular biology, physiology, and pathophysiology. The Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology also provides students with an option to gain experience and competence in teaching.
More specifically, the graduate program in cell and molecular physiology is designed to provide students with a broad background of knowledge in physiology, a depth of knowledge and understanding in the specialized area of their choice, skills in critical analysis of scientific literature as well as skills in written and oral communication, and a scholarly approach to scientific investigation.
These components of LU Chicago's Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology Ph.D. program ensure that graduates are well prepared for stimulating and successful careers in academic institutions as well as industrial or government laboratories.
Graduate Students Develop Scientific, Research, and Investigative Skills at LU Chicago
Loyola University Chicago believes the purpose of a superb doctoral training program is to nurture the development of high quality, well motivated students to become independent investigators. The faculty members at the university are committed to excellence in both their science and the training of students.
The Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology at LU Chicago is committed to the development of the research and training environment and to providing students with a solid integrated foundation in basic medical science. It is the department's goal to help graduate students develop solid scientific skills as well as to nurture an enthusiasm for scientific investigation and a high scientific moral code.
Loyola Students Benefit from State-of-the-Art Research Facilities and Programs and Close Interaction with Faculty
Students at Loyola work in state-of-the-art research laboratories and enjoy extensive core facilities in the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology and in several research institutes. Of particular note is LU Chicago's biotechnology core facility located in the department, which provides electronic/computer, machine shop, and imaging services.
Well-equipped labs dedicated to confocal microscopy and tissue culture are available in addition to equipment rooms housing centrifuges, scintillation counters, stills, shaker baths, ice machines, and photo stands. Other facilities include cold rooms, dark rooms, seminar/conference rooms, and a departmental library.
There are numerous levels of interaction among the different faculty research programs at Loyola University Chicago, creating a highly synergistic research environment allowing expansion of knowledge beyond the formal courses and confines of any one lab. This is reinforced by the types of discussions which occur routinely in the informal courses where multiple perspectives to given problems are always apparent.
To further broaden exposure to various research approaches and informally acquaint students with all faculty, Loyola University Chicago students and faculty members attend the annual Departmental Research Retreat in September. Members of all laboratories, regardless of career stage, present general overviews of their research projects and ideas in a relaxed friendly format, which encourages and promotes informal discussion.
In addition, the relatively low student to faculty ratio at Loyola provides Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology students with easy and frequent contact with the faculty.
